Roll-away screen



Oct. 28, 1952 Flled Oct 15. 1949 Patented Oct. 28, 1952 UNITED STATES: PATENT-OFFICE Thomas O. Radford, St. Paul, Minn. 7 Application October 15, 1949, Serial No. 121,539

My invention "relates to improvements in screens and, more particularly, to one that will roll away. While the invention isintended for general use, it is especiallywell adapted for use in all openingsfor windows, doors, automobile'windows and the like.

The object of this) invention is to provide a screen that is very compact, easy to install and, when :installed, is permanent, requires no seasonal removal and replacement, is self storing, does: not interfere with storm window installation, and is self-adjusting as to length.

.f-I'o the above end, generally stated, the inventio consists of the novel devices and combinationof devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate like parts. vthroughoutthe several views.

.Referring'to the drawings:

,- ,Fig. lis a fragmentary view principallyin vertical section taken centrally through a doublehung window in which the invention is installed;

; Fig.2 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but is 3 Claims; (Cl. 16028) considerably more fragmentary, further sectioned, b roken and on an enlarged scale; Fig.,3 is a broken detail view partly in plan and partly in horizontal section taken on the irregular line .3]3 of Fig.2; T'Fig. iis a fragmentary broken elevational View looking at certain parts in Fig. 2 in the direction of the arrow marked thereon; Fig.5 is aloft-hand end view of roller and screen, as shownin Fig. 3, removed from the housing; I

Fig. 6 is a detail View partly in diagram and partly in section taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 2, and rotated 90 counterclockwise;

7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 6', but showing a. modification thereof;

Fig; ,8 is a broken view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showing a different installation of the invention; i

mg, is 'afragrnentary outside elevational View of thelparts shown in Fig.8; M

Fig. 10 is adetail view in section taken on the line iii-4 [J of Fig. 9, on an enlarged scale.

, For-thepurp oseof showing one installation of the invention, there is iragmentarily illustrated i -2 formed by outer stops i3 :and intermediate stops it, the upper sash 15 mounted in runways it formed by the intermediate stops l4 and the outer stops ll, outside casing l8; and the sill I8. Referring now in detail to the invention shown in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, the numeral 21) indicates a long housing having an open front and bottom. The end portions of the housing 20 extend into the runways l6. Integral with the back of the housing 29, at the bottom thereof, is an outturned flange 2! which rests on the sill i9 and is detachably secured thereto by screws 22. This flange 2| extends the full distance between the stops H. The top of the housing 29, at the front thereof,- is folded backwardly upon itself to afford asmooth directional guide 23 for a plastic mesh screen 24. This guide 23 is spaced outwardly from the intermediate stops l4 to leave narrow passageways 25 therebetween and closely positions the screen 211 to the outer turnably mounted and supports the respective end of the roller 28 therefrom. The purpose ofv attaching the trunnion 28 to the housing 20, by means of screw-threads for axial adjustment, is to facilitate the mounting of the roller 26 thereon.

A cap 2% closes the left-hand end of the roller 2'6 and has an annular flange 39 telescoped into said roller and rigidly secured thereto. The central portion of'the cap 29 is inset and has an axial hole '31, Around rod 32 extends into the roller 25 through the axial hole 3i. This cap 29 and hence the roller 26 is turnably mounted on the rod 32. A flat stud 33, rigidly secured to the inner side of the-left-hand end of the housing 2%,extends into an oblong hole 34 in the outer 'end of the rod 32 and'thereby holds said rod from turning. A pair of opposing washers 35 is rigidly secured to therod 32 and; the cap 29 extends therebetween. These washers 35 hold the rod 32 against axial movement relative to the roller 26.

Encircling the rod 32 is a coiled spring 36, one end-portion of which extends through a loop 3,! out andpressed from the flange 33) on the cap 2%. The other end of the spring 33 extends transversely through a slit 38 in-the inner endof the rod 32 and anchors the spring 36 thereto. Thescreen 24 is attached to the roller 26 and is arranged to, be wound thereon. This screen rail 39 and the screen 24.

extends out of the housing through the passageways 25.

The screen 24, at its upper edge portion, is secured to the lower rail 39 of the lower sash H by a connector plate 40. This connector plate 40 is secured to the rail 39 of the lower sash H by screws 42. Integral with the lower longitudinal edge of the connector plate 40 is an outturned flange 43'which extends transversely between the intermediate stops l4. On the longitudinal edge of the flange 43 is a pair of downturned jaws 44 between which the upper edge portion of the screen 24 extends and is rigidly secured. The screws 42 extend through vertical slots 45 in the connector plate 40 and also formed in said connector plate, at the lower ends of. the, slots 45, are round holes 46 slightly larger in diameter than the heads of the screws '42.. To remove the connector plate 40 from the sash H, or in other words, detach the screen 24 from said sash, it is only necessary to lift the connector plate 40 to align holes 46 with the screws 42 and then move the connector plate 48 outwardly from the sash rail 39 to withdraw the connector plate 46 from the screws 42. The flange 43 which extends transversely between the stops [4 forms a closure between the sash The jaws 44 hold the screen 24 parallel to the stops I4.

Vertical guides 41 are provided for the longithe longitudinal edge portions of the screen 24 extend.

From the above description, it, is evident that the roller 26 is at all times under strain to wind the screen 24 thereon and hold the same taut so that the same is smooth. When raising the lower sash II, the operation thereof will unwind the screen 24. from the roller 26 so that the same .is self-adjusing for the size of the opening between the sash H and the sill 19. screen 24, by the raising of the lower sash H,

Pull on the will rotatethe roller 26 and thus progressively increase the tension of the spring 35.

When lowering the lower sash l l, the tensioned roller 26 willwind the screen 24 thereon so that the same is self-adjusting for the window opening between said sash and the sill 19. The guides vv4'1. keep the overlapped longitudinal edge portions of the screen 2.4 close to the stops [4. The housing 20 and the connector plate 40 form closures between thescreen 24 and the window. The

plastic screen 24, due to the nature thereof, will wind on the roller 26 in very compact form so that the same occupies comparatively little space and does not interfere with the raising or lowering of either of the sash l I-I5 or the installation of a storm window. When the lower sash H is closed, the jaws 44 substantially engage the top of the housing 25 so that the screen 24 is encased and out of the weather.

Referring now to the modification of the guide 41 shown in Fig. '7, wherein the window frame and intermediate stop are diametrically shown and designated by the numerals 50 and 5!: The modified guide 52 is also in the form of an angle bar having one of its flanges secured to the window frame 50 by screws 53. The other flange of' the guide 52, which extends parallel to and contacts the outer side of the stop 5! has formed therein a narrow, deep groove 54 that is concavo-convex in cross-section and extends the full length of the guide 52. The plastic screen 55, at its longitudinal edge portions, is attached to thin spring tapes 56, only one of which is shown. The tape 56 shown slides endwise in the groove 54 andwill wind, with the screen 55, on a roller. The tape 56 is 'concavo-convex in cross-section and is thus interlocked with'the guide 52 and prevents edgewise removal of the tape 56 from the guide 52. One of the main reasons for interlocking the screen 55 with the fixed guides 52 is to prevent a child from pushing the screen out and. falling out of the window.

In the installation of the screen shown in Figs. 9 and 19, all parts that correspond to like parts in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, are given the same reference numerals followed by a prime In this installation, the housing 28 is attached to the head member of the outside casing l8 and the connector plate 40 is attached by screws 42" to the sill I9. A guide 51,,identical with the guide 52' except that it is in the form of flat bars in place of an angle bar, hasa rearwardly project'- ing extension 58, of reduced thickness, secured by screws 59 to one of the stiles of the casing 18'. The tape 56' in the groove 54' is attached to the screen 24.

To put a storm window, not shown, in the window. frame, Hi, the connector plate 40 is removed from the sill I9 and, the screen 24' is wound and stored in the housing 20'; If desired, thehousing 20 may be removed from the casing 18' without removing the screws 22. To permit this removal of the housing 20', the flange 21" is provided with notches 62 and holes 63 forthe screws 22'.

From what has been said, it will be understood that the invention described is capable of modifications as to details of construction and arrangement within the, scope of the invention herein disclosed.

What I claim is:

1. In a device of the class described, a housing, a tubular roller in the housing, an axially movable trunnion on the housing on which the roller at one end is removably mounted, a cap closing the other end of the roller and having an axial hole, a rod extending into the roll'er'through the axial hole in the cap, saidrod having an out-ofround axial hole in the outer end thereof said cap being rotatably mounted on the rod, an outof.-round stud on thehousing and extending into said axial hole in the outer end of the rod, and

removably supporting the rod, a coiled spring encircling the rod and having one of its ends secured to the roller and having its, other end attached to the rod, a screen windable on the roller, said screen having means on its other end for attaching the same to a support; and means for holding thev roller and rod' against relative axial movement.

2. In a, device of the class described, a housing, a tubular roller in the housing, an axially movable trunnion on the housing on which the roller at one end is removably mounted, a cap closing the other end of the roller and having an axial hole, a rod extending into the roller' through the axial holein the cap, said rod having an out-- of-round axial hole in-the outer end thereof, said cap being rotatably mounted on the rod, an outot-round stud on thehousing and extending into said axial hole intheouter end of the rod; and removably supporting the rod, a coiled" spring encircling the rod and having one of its ends secured to the roller and having its other end attached to the rod, a screen windable on the roller, said screen having means on its other end for attaching the same to a support, and a pair of opposing washers rigidly secured to the rod between which the cap extends and thereby holds the roller and the rod against relative axial movement.

3. In a device of the class described, an elongated housing having an open side and closed ends, a tubular roller in the housing, a cap closing one end of the roller and having an axial hole, a rod extending axially into the roller through the hole in the cap, means holding the rod and the roller against relative axial movement, a fixed stud on one of the closed ends of the housing, said rod being mounted at its outer end on the stud for endwise removal, said rod and stud having out-of-round interlocking engagement that holds the rod from turning, a trunnion having screwthreaded engagement with the other closed end of the housing and on which the roller at its other end is turnably mounted, said trunnion being op- THOMAS C. RADFORD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 969,977 Petersen Sept. 13, 1910 1,067,075 Swanson July 8, 1913 1,126,442 Fulde Jan. 26, 1915 1,203,455 Baker Oct. 31, 1916 1,240,768 ONeill Sept.'18, 1917 1,802,374 Coates Apr. 28, 1931 2,349,226 Thomas Ma 16, 1944 

